Odell Beckham Jr. still not close
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants first-round draft pick Odell Beckham Jr. still isn't practicing, certainly won't be ready to play in the regular-season opener next Monday night at Detroit and could be two or three weeks away from returning from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him since the start of training camp.
All of this according to coach Tom Coughlin, who felt the need to meet with his rookie wide receiver Sunday to remind him not to rush back and risk further injury just because of external pressure.
"Let's just let this kid get better," Coughlin said after practice Monday. "I went to him yesterday to say, 'Let's just not have any more setbacks.' Because it's every day the same question over and over. He's not ready to play. He may be a couple or three weeks away. I'll let you know when he's ready."
Beckham said he's frustrated at not being able to play but that he appreciated Coughlin's message and support.
"It just makes me more comfortable to know, 'Make sure you get right. Take your time,'" Beckham said. "Hurting yourself is really hurting the team, so I've just got to try to get better every day. It's great to have the feeling of Coach having your back."
Beckham missed the team's June minicamp with a hamstring injury and aggravated it in the team's first practice of training camp July 22. He returned to practice on a limited basis a couple of weeks later but injured it again and hasn't practiced on the field with the rest of the team since Aug. 18.
He said he's mystified as to why it's taken so long to heal.
"Just kept re-aggravating it," Beckham said. "Right now I'm just taking it day by day. I don't set any limits on myself."
Jerrel Jernigan has been starting for the Giants in the outside wide receiver spot for which they drafted Beckham in May, with Rueben Randle on the other side and Victor Cruz in the slot in the team's preferred three-wide receiver formation. The other receivers on the roster are undrafted rookie Corey Washington and journeyman Preston Parker.
